The Liberal government of Ontario has passed legislation that would make it illegal to hold protests near or outside abortion clinics. The ban will also protect health professionals and staff who provide abortion services at their homes.

Stories on television and at the movies that include people with disabilities are becoming more prevalent. But recent studies have found that while the disabled account for nearly 20% of the U.S. population, roughly 2% of characters portrayed on television and in major U.S. films are disabled. The studies also found that the majority of those roles are still going to able-bodied actors. As part of his series on the arts and social integration, Arts & Culture Desk reporter Scott Sackett visited with a playwright and theater director who, on the local scene, is giving disabled artists an audience and changing the public’s perceptions of disabled people.

A small protest was staged Friday in downtown Buffalo where protestors rallied against a plan to abolish the Affordable Care Act.

The event took place outside the Federal Building at 130 South Elmwood.

Protestors expressed concern about the impact that a Republican-sponsored plan in the U.S. Senate would have on low-income families and workers. The warned that proposed changes could put about 20 million Americans in danger.